Telephone-exchange system.



H. P. CLAUSEN.

TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEM APPLICATION FILED 050.29. 1916.

1,251,644. I Patented Jan; 1,1918.

ln venfar: Henry R Chase.

" """ruwm *1 U N lira?) ETATES ATENTF HENRY r. CLAUSEN, or MoUNr vnnNoN, NEW roan, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN nrno'rnrc COMPANY, INCORPORATED, on NEW roan, 'N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TELEPHONE-EXCHANGE SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 29, 1916. Serial No. 139,565.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY P. CLAUsEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of WVestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone-Exchange Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to telephone exchange systems, and more particularly to call recording in such systems.

It is the object of this invention to provide means to charge subscribers for calls in excess of those made at a predetermined rate per unit of time and thus effect more even distribution of the daily traffic.

It has been found that the load during certain busy hours of the day is far in excess of that during the remaining hours of the day. If then, the subscribers could be induced to distribute their calls uniformly throughout the hours of the day, a very desirable result would be attained, since, in order to handle the heavy traffic during the busy hours, equipment far in excess of that required to handle the average load is required; and if uniform distribution were attained, much of this apparatus would be unnecessary, with a large resultant saving in cost of equipment and upkeep.

If a subscriber is allowed a certain number of calls in a given unit of time, as for instance, five calls per hour and is charged for these calls at a flat rate, it is thought that he would endeavor to distribute his calls in accordance with the number allowed him under his fiat rate, if he was obliged to pay an additional amount for each call in excess of those made at the predetermined rate.

A feature of the present invention is the use of a call meter operated only to record calls in excess of those made at a predetermined rate. a

An additional feature of the invention is the use of a call meter operable in the usual manner to record all calls made by a subscriber, a second meter being provided, which is operated only to record calls in excess of those made at a predetermined rate.

It is thought that the invention will be best understood from the following detailed description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing-there is shown a call recording device embodying the features of the present invention.

The mechanical structure of a metering device suitable foruse in the proposed type of system will first be described, and will be followed by a description of the operation ofsuch a device.-

- A rotatable shaft 1 is mounted in any suitable manner and carries rotatably mounted thereon a ratchetwheel 2; A counting device 3 comprising a plurality of counting wheels l, 5 and 6 is mechanically connected to a ratchet wheel 7 by means (not shown).

Patent'ed Jan. 1, 19.18.

The ratchet wheel 7 is rotatable on shaft 1,

and is arranged to operate the counting device by one counting unit upon each. step made by it. The stepping wheel 2 carries an arm 8 secured to a point near its periphery; A pawl 9 is pivotally mounted on arm 8, the arrangement beingvsuch that upon counterclockwise rotation of wheel 2, as viewed in the drawing, ratchet wheel 7 will be advanced therewith. During clockwise rotation of wheel 2, as shown in the drawing, wheel 7 will not be rotated.

A ratchet wheel 11 is secured to shaft 1 and arrangedto rotate therewith. Upon r0- tation of ratchet wheel 11 in acounter-clockwise direction, as viewed in the drawing, a counting device, comprising digit indicating number wheels 12, 18 and 14, is operated to add an additional count for each step made by ratchet wheel 11; Motion of shaft 1 in a clockwise direction is prevented by means of a holding pawl 15', which engages the teeth of ratchet wheel 11.

Slotted disks 16 and 17 are secured in fixed relation to one another and to: wheel 2 by means of a screw 18. These disks are ro-.

spring 27, into engagement with teeth 28 of the wheel 2 upon energization of magnet 24, but is normally held out of engagement with such teeth by the engagement of a pin 29 and a cam surface d8 of the pawl 25, fixed in a support 30 of any convenient character. When the magnet 2% is not energized, the armature 26 is retracted by means of a spring 31, the superior tension of this spring overcoming the tension of spring 27, to allow pawl 25 to be drawn out of the path of teeth 28 as above set forth. Secured to support 30 is a spring member 32, having a notch 33 arranged to engage the teeth 28 upon the completion of each step. The purpose of member 32 is to insure accurate positioning of wheel 2 upon the completion of each step.

A magnet 34 is arranged to rotate wheel 2 in a clockwise direction by the action of a pawl 35 pivoted to its armature 36. Upon energization of magnet 34: pawl 35 is moved by the action of a leaf spring 37 into engagement with teeth 28. lVhen the magnet 34 is not energized pawl 35 is held out of the path of travel of teeth 28 by means of a pin 38 secured to a fixed support 39, in the same manner in which pawl 25 is normally held out of engagement with such teeth.

Under the assumption that a subscriber will be allowed to make calls at the rate of six per hour at a flat rate, and that all calls in excess of those made at the predetermined rate shall be registered and charged for at a predetermined price per call, the operation of the device is as follows:

Under this assumption the magnet 34; will have its energizing circuit connected in series with an interrupter of any desired form and which is driven at such a speed that the circuit of magnet 34 will be completed six times per hour. Disks 16 and 17 mustalso be so adjusted that projections 21 and 22 are six steps apart, that is, if projection 21 is in engagement with pin 23, six steps in a countor-clockwise direction must be made by wheel 2 before projection 22 will engage pin 23. Magnet 24 will be energized upon the completion of each successful call. The meter shown at the left is the meter used to record all calls made; and the metershown at the right when operated records excess calls. The circuits of magnet 24 have not been disclosed, since the operation of this magnet is that of the usual message register magnet, well-known in the art.

If at the beginning of the operation of the device it is assumed that projection 21 is in engaging position with pin 23, as shown in the drawing, the operation of the device in response to the varying use of the telephone set by the subscriber to which the meters shown have been assigned, will be as follows.

Ifthe subscriber makes six calls in rapid succession, he will not be charged for excess calls, since*onl-y the meter shown at the left will be operated. The completion of each call results in the energization of magnet 24-, and advances wheel 2 by one step. Ratchet wheel 7 is advanced one step for each step of wheel 2 through the agency of pawl 9 and arm 8.

If the six calls required less than ten minutes, and the subscriber makes a seventh call within the ten minutes, the meter shown at the right of the drawing will be operated, since the counter-clockwise direction of wheel 2 through six steps has now brought projection 22 into operative relation with pin 23, and upon the energization ofmagnet 2% upon the seventh call, wheel 2 will be advanced one step, advancing not only ratchet wheel 7 but also ratchet wheel 11 to record a call on the meter shown to the right.

If the subscriber after making six calls in rapid succession doesnot use his telephone during the next twenty minutes, he will then beable to make two calls in close succession without having the excess call registering meter operate, since magnet 34, which is energized once every ten minutes, will cause wheel 2 to be rotated two steps in a clockwise direction, thereby moving extension 22 away from pin' 23.

If, after making six calls in rapid succession, the subscriber does not again use his telephone for an hour, he will be allowed, at the expiration of the hour, to make six more calls in rapid succession, since extension has now been stepped away from pin 23 a distance corresponding to six steps of wheel 2.

If at any time the calling subscriber does not use his telephone for a long period of time, say an hour and a half, he will, upon the completion of that hour and a half, be able to make only six calls in rapid succession, as before, since, after projection22 has been stepped away from pin 23 by a distance equivalent to six steps, further movement of wheel 2 is impossible, since projection 21 now engages pin 23, and aclockwise rotation of shaft 1 is impossible, dueto the engagement of catch pawl 15 with ratchet wheel 11.

In this Way the operation may continue throughout the day, it not having been considered necessary to describe the many conditions which would arise from the varied use of the telephoneby the subscriber.

It is obvious, however, that while a subscriber may, by refraining from use of his telephone for a certain length of time, be able to make a certain number of calls in rapid succession he will never be able to make calls at more than a certain rate per unit of time, which unit in the present case has been assumed to be an hour. The exceptionto this-is the first hour of the day, inwhich he may' use the 'six-calls stored' up for-his 13a disposal during the night, and makeadditional calls after waiting for the magnet 3% to adjust the metering device.

If it is desired to allow a subscriber a greater or less number of calls per hour than was assumed, this may be accomplished by changing the speed at which the interrupter which controls magnet 34 is driven. The distance between projections 21 and 22 is variable, to determinethe greatest number of calls which may be stored up by the calling subscriber to be used in rapid succession.

If it is desired to regulate the traflic conditions by varying the number of calls per unit of time during the various hours of the day, this might be accomplished by pro viding the driving mechanism of the interrupter which controls the circuit of magnet 34:, with a clock-controlled speed regulating device, which would vary the operation of magnet 34 to meet the desired conditions of the various hours of the day.

What is claimed is:

1. In a call metering system, a counting device, and means to operate said counting device to record calls in excess of those made at a predetermined rate per unit of time.

2. In a call metering system, a counting device, means to prevent operation of said counting device when calls are made at a certain rate per unit of time, and means to operate said counting device when calls are made at a more rapid rate.

3. In a call metering system, a pair of counting devices, means to operate one of said counting devices to record each call made, means to prevent operation of the other of said counting devices when calls are made at a certain rate per unit of time, and means to operate said other counting device when calls are made at a more rapid rate.

4. In a call metering system, a counting device, means to prevent operation of said counting device when calls are made at a certain rate per unit of time, means to operate said counting device to record calls in excess of those made at said predetermined rate, and means to vary said predetermined rate at various times.

5. In a metering device, a counting device, a ratchet wheel, means to rotate said ratchet wheel in one direction, means to rotate said wheel in an opposite direction, and means to actuate said counting device, upon r0tation of said ratchet wheel in one direction when said ratchet wheel and said counting device are in certain relative positions.

6. In a metering system, a device whose operations are to be counted, a counting device, a magnet operable upon each operation of the device whose operations are to be counted, a ratchet wheel, means to rotate said ratchet wheel in one direction upon each energization of said magnet, a second magnet, means to rotate said wheel in an opposite direction upon each energization of said second magnet,-a'nd means to actuate said counting device uponrotation of said ratchet wheel in; one direction when said ratchet wheel and said counting device are in certain relative positions.

7. In a metering system, adevice whose operations are to be counted, a counting device, a magnet operable upon each operation of the device whose operations are to be counted, a ratchet wheel, means torotate said ratchet wheel in one direction upon each energization of said magnet, a second magnet, means to energize said second magnet at desired time intervals, means to rotate said Wheel in an opposite direction upon each energization of said second magnet, and means to actuate said counting device upon rotation of said ratchet wheel in one direction when said ratchet wheel and said counting device are in certain relative positions.

8. In a metering device, a counting device, a rotatable shaft, means to permit the rotation of said shaft in one direction only, means to operate said counting device upon rotation of said shaft, an engaging member mounted on said shaft, a ratchet wheel, projections mounted on said ratchet wheel, means to rotate said ratchet wheel in one direction, means to rotate said ratchet wheel in the opposite direction, and means to actuate said counting device upon rotation of said ratchet wheel in one direction when one of the projections carried by said ratchet wheel engages said shaft-carried engagement member.

9. In a metering device, a counting device, a rotatable shaft, means to permit the rotation of said shaft in one direction only, means to operate said counting device upon rotation of said shaft, an engaging member mounted on said shaft, a ratchet wheel, projections mounted on said ratchet wheel, means to rotate said ratchet wheel in one direction, means to rotate said ratchet wheel in the opposite direction, means to actuate said counting device upon rotation of said ratchet wheel in one direction when one of the projections carried by said ratchet wheel engages said shaft-carried engagement member, and means to prevent rotation of said ratchet wheel in the opposite direction When the second of said projections engages said shaft-carried engagement member.

10. In a metering system, a device whose operations are to be counted, a pair of counting devices, a magnet operable upon each operation of the device whose operations are to be counted, a ratchet wheel, means to rotate said ratchet Wheel in one di rection upon each energization of said magnet, a second magnet, means to energize said second magnet at desired time intervals, means to rotate said Wheel in an opposite direction upon each energization of said magnet, means to actuate one of said counting devices upon each energization of said first magnet and means to actuate the other of said counting devices upon rotation of said ratchet Wheel in one direction When said ratchet Wheel and said last-mentioned counting device are in certain relative positions.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 28th day of December; A. D.

HENRY P. CLAUSEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. C. 

